David Le Vita

David Le Vita conducting at a music event at Brooklyn Museum's Sculpture Court

David Nahon Le Vita or David Levita (1906–2006) was an American musician, educator, musicologist and conductor.[1] He worked at the Brooklyn Museum from 1937 to 1972 where he organised numerous community events, gave lectures on classical music, and developed the museum's music programme. In 1947, he was appointed director of music activities at the museum. In 1953, he founded the Brooklyn Museum Trio and launched a collaboration with the Community Opera to present up to six operas a year free to the public. Le Vita also worked as an instructor of piano and music history for the community organization, the Henry Street Settlement, and as the head of piano department at the Music School Settlement. He was considered to be a pioneer in music education.[2]

Early life and education

Le Vita was born in New York City on 2 June 1906,[3][4] the son of Izaak and Rose Le Vita. His parents were of Russian and Austro-Hungarian origin. Le Vita grew up in Brooklyn. He began playing in recitals when he was 13.[1][2] He gave his public debut as a pianist in 1923 at Aeolian Hall in Manhattan.[5] A scholarship enabled him to study abroad.

Le Vita graduated from Leipzig Conservatory of Music[2] in 1929, and then enrolled in the musicology program at Leipzig University. The university had been bequeathed a large collection of musical instruments and, in 1929, opened a Museum of Musical Instruments where Le Vita gained insight into organology and ethnomusicology, which proved useful in his career. In 1931, Le Vita obtained a PhD in musicology from Leipzig University and soon returned to the United States.[5]

Career

In 1937, he got involved with the Brooklyn Museum, where he established a series entitled "Music Background Hours", initially featuring mostly non-Western music but later including chamber music and opera.[6] From 1939 onwards, he gave lectures on classical music for an adult audience,[7] supported by the WPA Federal music program.[8][9] In his free time, he established the "Le Vita Studios of Music and Art".[10]

Le Vita was hired as a member of the museum's Education Department in 1942, with the job title "musicologist". He consolidated and developed the museum's music programme, which included lectures, on instruments or music-related artworks from the museum's collection, for schoolchildren and adults, as well as a wide range of concerts. The highlight of the concert programme was a weekly Chamber Music Series on Sunday afternoons, which was launched in Spring 1943 and featured artists such as Paul Wittgenstein, Eva Heinitz and John Corigliano.[11] Later, an additional series was added on Saturday afternoons, where professional musicians and local high school orchestras performed.

In the early 1940s, Le Vita oversaw the restoration of the museum's musical instruments of Indian origin and arranged for Wasantha Singh to give a lectures series on their usage.[12] From March to June 1944, he organized an "Ask the Composer" series, which featured Henry Cowell, Béla Bartók, Virgil Thomson and Morton Gould and Paul Creston. A second set of composers in Winter/Spring 1945 featured Julius Hijman, Karl Weigl and Paul Bowles, among others.

In 1947, Le Vita was appointed director of music activities at the museum.[13] The late 1940s saw the creation of a five-part concert for children, exclusively available to museum members, which was held at the museum's Sculpture Court.[14] In 1953, Le Vita founded the Brooklyn Museum Trio with himself as pianist, Avram Weiss as violinist, Sidney Edwards and, later, Shepard Coleman as cellist.[15] In the same year, he launched a collaboration with the Community Opera Inc. which presented up to six operas to the audience, free of charge.[6] In the 1950s, Le Vita also established a collaboration with John Motley, who conducted the Museum's Children's Chorus.[16]

Le Vita retired from the museum in 1972.[1][5] During his career, Le Vita had also worked as an instructor of piano and music history for the community organisation, the Henry Street Settlement,[4][17] and as the head of the piano department at the Music School Settlement.[4]

After his retirement, Le Vita performed several times with his daughter, Julie.[1][18]

Awards and honours

Le Vita was presented with citations for his contributions to music education, by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr, on behalf of the City of New York.[1][18]

He was featured in the International Who's Who in Music and Musicians,[19] the Dictionary of International Biography,[4] and the National Register of Prominent Americans and International Notables.[1]

He received an Award of Merit from the National Federation of Music Clubs.[1][18] In 2006, he was cited for his work by Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz and Brooklyn Museum director Arnold Lehman.[5]

Personal life

After he retired in 1972, Le Vita moved to Florida where he spent the rest of his life.[5] He died on 26 August 2006[5] in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was 100. He was survived by his wife, Gertrude (née Frank), whom he had married in 1937, and their two daughters.[5]

Publications

  • Fiddles of the Master Craftsmen, April–June 1945 exhibition catalogue, Brooklyn Museum[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Dillon, Marie (October 11, 1989). "On Piano, Four Hands Make the Sweetest Music". The Journal News. White Plains, New York. p. 33. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Musicologist to Talk Here". The Standard-Star. New Rochelle, New York. November 12, 1956. p. 19. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com. David LeVita, musicologist of the Brooklyn Museum... is a graduate of Leipzig Conservatory and University, and since he was thirteen has appeared as piano recitalist soloist with symphony orchestras. Associated with the Museum for the past 10 years, he pioneered in the field of music education in museums. Dr. LeVita is pianist of the Brooklyn Museum Trio and also teaches and lectures.
  3. ^ International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory. Melrose Press. 1975. p. 537.
  4. ^ a b c d e Kay, Ernest, ed. (1967). Dictionary of International Biography 1967–1968 (4th ed.). Dictionary of International Biography Company. p. 310.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g "Requiem". Local 802 American Federation of Musicians (AFM). October 2006. Archived from the original on June 20, 2025. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Mathew, Gladys (1963). "An impresario grows in Brooklyn: concerts in a museum". Music Journal. 21 (5): 45.
  7. ^ "Music Lectures". Brooklyn Museum Bulletin. 1 (3): 2. December 1939.
  8. ^ "Music at Museum". Brooklyn Section. Daily News. Vol. 21, no. 49. New York City. August 21, 1939. p. 8. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com. Music of various European countries will be presented Thursday morning at Brooklyn Museum by the WPA Federal music project, with David LeVita as lecturer.
  9. ^ "Music and Dance". The Brooklyn Citizen. January 15, 1938. p. 9. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Violin Concerto Lectures Start at the Museum". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. November 7, 1941. p. E6. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com. Mr. David Le Vita will give the first lecture-demonstration of his series on Violin Concertos at the Brooklyn Museum this afternoon at 3....Vita, who is the director of the Le Vita Studios of Music and Art, will give six lectures on Violin Concertos between Nov. 2 and Jan. 25. In each lecture Mr. Le Vita will be assisted by guest artists.
  11. ^ "Ask the composer", flyer kept at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Special Collections, "Brooklyn Museum" file, 1944
  12. ^ "Knowing India through her Music". The Virgin Islands Daily News. February 19, 1945. p. 2. Retrieved October 21, 2025.
  13. ^ "Named Museum Aid". Kings section. Daily News. New York City. April 22, 1947. p. K3. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com. David Le Vita, musicologist, has been appointed director of music activities at the Brooklyn Museum... effective May 1
  14. ^ Davis, Ruth G. (December 21, 1948). "Contemporary Comment: Boro Museum Plans Concerts for Children". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. p. 17. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Trio at Museum". Brooklyn Section. Daily News. New York City. January 10, 1954. p. 15B. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Chorus at Museum". Brooklyn Section. Sunday News. June 26, 1955. p. 15K. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Museum will be Scene of Recital". Brooklyn Eagle. November 9, 1942. p. 7. Retrieved October 24, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b c "Father-daughter pianists entertain at St Paul's". The Journal News. October 18, 1989. p. 37. Retrieved October 21, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
  19. ^ International Who's Who in Music and Musicians' Directory. Melrose Press. 1975. p. 537.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.